Preventing
Retail Burglary
This guide is one in a series of crime prevention publications designed to equip current and potential Safe City partners
with low-cost tools to assess their crime problems and to develop strategies to address them. Other guides in this series
include vandalism, car crimes, public disorder, panhandling, and shoplifting.
Safe City is a model community-based initiative that aims to reduce crime, build awareness, and
develop communities into safer places to live, work, and shop. Community partners in cities across the
U.S. modify the model to best suit their needs and resources. The goal is to leverage existing resources
by building collaborative relationships between law enforcement, businesses, residents, government
leaders, property managers, and community organizations. This approach maximizes the tactical,
financial, technological, and human resources available to address a community’s crime problems.
The Safe City model promotes partnerships and technical solutions as instrumental building blocks for
success. These partnerships are further strengthened by individual retailers taking ownership over the
crime and disorder problems occurring in and around their businesses.
Safe City has partnered with the Urban Institute, a non-profit policy research firm, to develop a variety
of crime prevention strategies for use in retail settings, many of which are inexpensive and easy to
implement. For more information about the Safe City program, please visit www.mysafecity.com.
For more information about the Urban Institute’s justice policy research activities, please visit
www.urban.org/justice.
Using this Guide
This guide is designed to help you and
your partners understand and address
the retail burglary problem affecting
your business area and to help promote
dialogue among retailers, police, and
community stakeholders about these
issues. Keep in mind that when
implementing these strategies you
should tailor your solution to the unique
nature of your crime problem and
business environment.
Other guides in this series address
vandalism, car crimes, public disorder,
panhandling, and shoplifting.
Quick Tips
Understanding Retail Burglary
Here are a few guiding steps that
can help prevent burglary:
1 Measure your burglary problem.
Retail Burglary
Retail Burglary involves the breaking and
entering into a business with the intent of
stealing items. It often involves costly damage
to the building and the loss of valuable
merchandise, both of which can be detrimental
to the livelihood of one’s business.
Retail Burglary Patterns
Retail burglaries typically occur at night and/or
after regular business hours. In most cases,
burglars enter through doors or windows and
leave before police or security are able to
respond. Although less common, “ram raids”
and “smash and grabs” involve ramming a car
or other objects into a retail building, attempting
to grab as many items as possible, and then
making a quick escape.
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Safe City
In general, burglars are motivated by economic
gain, although some simply enjoy the excitement
of stealing merchandise. While most burglars
are opportunistic, a small share are skilled
professionals, employing sophisticated planning
and methods, and therefore committing many
successful burglaries. Regardless of whether they
are professional or opportunistic, most retail
burglars select stores located in isolated areas or
those known to have poor security features, such
as low lighting, insufficient locks, no window
bars, or lack of formal security systems.
Like shoplifters, burglars tend to choose targets
based on convenience or the desirability of
goods located in the store. They are particularly
interested in expensive items that are easily
portable, such as electronics, liquor, cigarettes,
designer clothing, or recorded music and video.
The acronym “CRAVED” was created to highlight
attributes of commonly stolen merchandise that
make them vulnerable to theft (see sidebar).
Stores with pharmacies are often targeted for
burglaries of popular regulated drugs, such as
OxyContin or Dalaudid, as well as those drugs
with restricted sales, such as pseudoephedrine.
2 Identify business practices that may
make you vulnerable to burglary.
Burglaries are not random phenomena, with
both business size and the surrounding area’s
crime rate playing some role in the probability
of being burglarized. Small U.S. businesses,
particularly in low-income urban areas, have the
highest retail burglary crime rates. Stores that
have been burgled once are at increased risk for
repeat victimization. Twenty-four hour stores,
with the constant presence of people, have the
lowest risk of burglary.
3 Choose a practical strategy to
reduce burglary and try it.
In its annual “Crime in the United States”
publication, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that in 2005 approximately 35
percent of burglaries were of non-residential
buildings, which includes retail stores. Retail
burglary, particularly repeat burglaries, present
enormous costs to businesses – often leading
businesses to lay off workers, increase prices,
or even close stores entirely. Perhaps more
discouraging to business owners and employees
is that burglary cases typically go unsolved
unless a burglar is apprehended at the crime
scene. Without adequate evidence, burglaries
have both the lowest arrest and clearance rates
of all serious crimes reported to the FBI annually.
Addressing Retail Burglary
Common strategies to prevent retail burglary
involve environmental changes to property.
External measures, such as improving lighting
or strengthening windows and doors, can be
combined with in-store security measures, such
as installing alarms or video surveillance systems
(i.e. CCTV) or having staff on duty 24-hours a
day (Clarke 2002). Many of these measures,
can also be used to prevent other types of crime
addressed in the Safe City guide series.
4 Measure your burglary problem
again to assess the impact of
your strategy.
5 Modify your strategy if necessary.
CRAVED:
Description of Commonly Stolen Items
(Clarke 2002)
Concealable: Easily hidden in
pockets, bags, or under clothing
Removable: Portable and easy
to carry
Available: Widely available or
easy to find
Valuable: Expensive and favorable
resale value or status among peers
Enjoyable: Enjoyable to own
or consume
Disposable: Easy to resell
For citation purposes: La Vigne, Nancy G.,
Michelle L. Scott, and Colleen Owens. 2007.
“Preventing Retail Burglary.” Washington, DC:
The Urban Institute Justice Policy Center.
Opinions expressed in this document are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the official
position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice,
the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.
Defining Your Problem
How many times has your business been burglarized
in the last quarter?
My business was burglarized twice in the last quarter.
If you have been burglarized more than once, have burglars
stolen the same items? What was stolen?
Yes, each time MP3 players were stolen.
What time of day or day of week did the burglary occur?
The burglaries occurred at night after the business closed. One
occurred on Sunday and the other on Friday.
If you have been burglarized more than once, have burglars
entered your building in the same manner each time?
How did they enter your building?
No, the first burglars entered the building by breaking through
the building’s rear doors. The second set of burglars entered
through windows in the rear of the building.
Are other area businesses experiencing burglaries?
Yes, I have spoken with two other businesses nearby who have
been burglarized around the same time I have.
Do other area businesses experience similar building
entry tactics?
The other businesses do not have rear windows so they only
experienced doorway entries.
Are other area businesses losing similar items to burglars?
One of the other businesses sells similar items and
experienced thefts of MP3 players. Another business
experienced a pharmacy break-in.
Safe City
Example Responses:
3
Questions to Ask:
Retail Burglary
Before implementing a strategy to prevent retail burglary, it is important to define the nature of the burglary problem for your
area. Although there are many methods you may use to address retail burglary on your own, a community-wide response that incorporates other area
businesses, agencies, and public services is beneficial to address any underlying community problems which may be related to burglary. Community
partners should consider the questions that appear below. Answers to these questions will help you understand the problem affecting your business area
so that you can select an appropriate response strategy.
Developing Response Strategies
After you’ve worked with your partners to define the
burglary problem for your area, you are ready to develop a response
strategy to prevent it. The following are strategies that can be used for
common retail burglary scenarios. Do not forget that situations vary
and that yours may require a tailored response. In addition, be prepared
for potential implementation challenges, such as unanticipated costs
and delays in both the implementation and impact of your crime
prevention strategy.
It is important to measure your burglary problem before and after
initiating a response. Doing so will tell you whether the response you
have selected is effective. Proof of effectively reducing burglary (or any
other crime) can be useful in persuading other area businesses to join
collaborative efforts to reduce crime throughout the community. Your
Measurement
measurement may also provide evidence that the strategy is not reducing
burglary as you expected, suggesting an adjustment to the response is in
order. While you may note improvements immediately, it is advisable to
wait at least a few months after implementing a response to see whether
it has had an impact. The chart below outlines ways that you can measure
the state of your burglary problem, outcomes that will indicate whether
the retail burglary problem has improved, and possible data sources.
When measuring outcomes it is important to note that a temporary
increase in reporting of incidents to police may represent a positive
outcome, indicating that community members are paying greater
attention to burglary. However, reported incidents should decline over
time as the number of burglaries decrease.
Data Source Strategic Response
Outcome
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Safe City
Retail Burglary
General burglary
• Number of burglaries
• Value of loss or damage ($)
• Types of items stolen
•
•
•
•
Local police
Business records
Site survey
Staff interviews
• Lock possible escape routes, including fire exits and loading
doors, after business hours
• Establish partnership with police for efficient reporting and
investigations
• Reinforce windows and doors with grilles or strengthened glass
• Strengthen window and door locks
• Relocate valuable merchandise away from doors or windows
• Remove obstructions from windows to provide clear line of
sight into store from street and parking lot
• Improve lighting of doorways and other entry points
• Implement early warning system with other area retailers
• Launch public awareness campaign to inform would-be
burglars of legal repercussions of burglarizing
• Fewer burglaries
• Fewer items stolen
• Decreased value of loss or
damage ($)
• Decreased calls for service
• Increased perception of safety
among staff
•
•
•
•
Local police
Business records
Site survey
Staff interviews
•
•
•
•
• Fewer burglaries
• Fewer types of items stolen
• Decreased value of loss or
damage ($)
• Fewer points of entry
• Fewer incidents at night
• More suspects arrested
• Decreased calls for service
•
•
•
•
Local police
Business records
Site survey
Staff interviews
• Limit inventory on-hand
• Install video surveillance cameras to monitor entry points or
high-valued merchandise storage areas
• Place high-value merchandise in difficult to reach places
• Mark merchandise to make more difficult for resale
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Local police
Business records
Site survey
Staff interviews
• Keep narcotics or other highly regulated drugs in secure vault
or cage
• Limit inventory on-hand
• Mark drugs to make more difficult for resale
• Install video surveillance cameras to monitor inventory
shelves or secured area
• Post signs indicating the presence of surveillance system
•
•
•
•
Repeat burglary victim
•
•
•
•
•
•
Number of burglaries
Types of items stolen
Value of loss or damage ($)
Number of points of entry
Day/time of burglaries
Number of suspects arrested
Upgrade security alarms
Install video surveillance cameras to monitor entry points
Improve lighting of doorways and other entry points
Post signs both inside and outside of the store indicating the
presence of surveillance system
Burglary of electronics store
•
•
•
•
Number of burglaries
Number of electronics stolen
Types of electronics stolen
Value of loss or damage ($)
Fewer burglaries
Fewer electronics stolen
Fewer types of electronics stolen
Decreased value of loss or
damage ($)
• Decreased calls for service
Burglary of pharmacy
•
•
•
•
Number of burglaries
Number of drug items stolen
Types of drugs stolen
Value of loss or damage ($)
Fewer burglaries
Fewer drug items stolen
Fewer types of drugs stolen
Decreased value of loss or
damage ($)
Measuring Your Problem: An Example
Y
Y
Y
Y
Clearly able to see back of store from
parking lot?
Y
N
Y
Y
Doors or windows in rear of store
building?
N
Y
Y
N
–
N
Y
–
–
N
N
–
Number of Incidents Reported
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Bright lights near store rear entrance?
8 am
12 pm
4 pm
8 pm
12 pm
4 am
8 am
Rear windows reinforced with grilles or
strengthened glass?
Safe City
Bright lights near store entrance?
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Retail Burglary
Portion of Site Survey Checklist
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Number of Reported Burglaries or
Reported Burglary Alarms Experienced
by Winkler Shopping District
Store 4
With this finding, WSD, with a local police officer, conducted a site
survey of their businesses one evening after most businesses closed.
The group decided to hire a security guard to patrol the WSD between
the hours of 9pm and 6am each day. The group also developed a formal
burglary incident and/or alarm protocol with the local police’s assistance.
This protocol established a direct contact list for the police to alert store
owners or managers if they noticed any suspicious activity or signs
of break-ins during the course of patrolling the area after hours. The
WSD also developed a communication plan to inform each other of any
incidents that occurred in their stores. In terms of individual response
strategies, Store 2 recognized the need to install bright lights in the rear
of the building to make any suspicious activity easier to see. Stores 2
and 3 decided to improve the security of their rear windows by installing
grilles or strengthened glass (see chart).
Store 3
With the assistance of the police department’s crime analyst, WSD first
reviewed the burglary report data for the previous three months for
any reported burglaries or reports of burglary alarms. The time of each
reported incident was graphed to determine the most problematic
time for burglaries. WSD discovered that most burglaries were reported
between the hours of 10pm and 4am (see chart). Not surprisingly, this is
when all the area stores are closed and there is no one on the premises
to serve as a guardian over the property.
They walked along the front and rear of each building with a checklist of
characteristics to note. Afterwards, their findings were used to brainstorm
individual and group response strategies to prevent future burglaries.
Store 2
experienced a noticeable increase in burglaries. They wanted to gain a
better understanding of the burglary problem before deciding on the best
strategies to prevent future burglaries.
Store 1
Business owners at the Winkler Shopping District (WSD)
How Other Communities Prevent Retail Burglary
Here are examples of how other retail establishments addressed retail burglary in their communities.
Business Community
Lye, England
In 1999, businesses and the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department
witnessed an increase in commercial burglaries along North Tryon
Street. In conjunction with business owners, police conducted a site
survey of the commercial area. Businesses worked with officers to
develop environmental improvements to their businesses to prevent
burglary. Changes included installing barricades to prevent “smash and
grabs,” improving outdoor lighting, strengthening doors and windows
with bars, and concealing merchandise from view overnight. In addition,
police increased bike patrols in the area and responding officers
continued to work with victims of commercial burglary to prevent repeat
victimization. Bike patrols, investigators, and officers from all shifts were
encouraged to increase communication amongst each other about their
cases in a timely manner. Commercial burglaries declined by more than
20 percent in the year the initiative began and there was a 15 percent
reduction in repeat burglary victimizations (North Tryon Street Corridor
Commercial Burglaries 2000).
The West Midlands Police and Lye’s business community established
the Business Against Crime (BAC) partnership in response to a
disproportionate level of commercial burglaries in the area. The
partnership established bimonthly meetings between stakeholders,
an email distribution list for efficient information exchange, a regular
newsletter for distribution to all area businesses, and a formal business
watch. In addition, insurance providers developed incentives for those
businesses meeting BAC quality standards. In the partnership’s first
year, commercial burglary decreased by 42 percent (Business Against
Crime 2002).
Retail Burglary
North Tryon Street Corridor
Charlotte, North Carolina
Businesses
Unincorporated Dade County, Florida
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Safe City
In 1994, retail businesses, such as malls and shopping centers,
throughout unincorporated Dade County experienced a dramatic increase
in “smash and grab” burglaries. Retailers partnered with local police
departments, the state’s attorney office, and the statewide prosecutors
office to create a coordinated task force to respond to crime scenes, share
intelligence, enhance sentencing, and improve communication between
private retail security and public law enforcement. The taskforce increased
the number of cases closed because of successful prosecutions, and police
records indicated a 56 percent reduction in smash and grab burglaries
(Smash and Grab Task Force 1994).
Additional Resources
• Your Local Police Department
• Your Local Safe City Partnership
• Center for Problem-Oriented Policing: www.popcenter.org
• Rutgers University Crime Prevention Service for Business: http://crimeprevention.rutgers.edu
• Small Business Administration Crime Prevention Series: www.sba.gov/tools/resourcelibrary/publications/SERV_PUB_CRIME.html
• Berkeley, California Police Department Crime Prevention: www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/Publications/publications.html
• National Crime Prevention Council: http://www.ncpc.org
• Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov
• National Retail Federation: http://www.nrf.com
• National Restaurant Association: www.restaurant.org
Clarke, Ronald V. 2002. Burglary of Retail Establishments. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series, No. 15. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services. Available: www.popcenter.org/Problems/problem-burglary-retail.htm.
Clarke, Ronald V. 2002. Shoplifting. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series, No. 11. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Available: www.popcenter.org/problems.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2005. Crime in the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
North Tryon Street Corridor Commercial Burglaries. 2000. Charlotte-Mecklenberg (NC) Police Department: www.popcenter.org/library/goldstein/2000/00-03.PDF
Smash and Grab Task Force. 1994. Metro-Dade Police Department (FL): www.popcenter.org/library/goldstein/1995/95-44.pdf
www.MySafeCity.com
Safe City
Business Against Crime. 2002. West Midlands Police (Lye, England): www.popcenter.org/library/tilley/2002/02-70.pdf
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Sources consulted for this guide include:
Retail Burglary
• National Association of Convenience Stores: http://www.nacsonline.com/NACS/default.htm
www.MySafeCity.com